Recent Posts
The list of Tudor and Anne Boleyn related places grows!
I am very happy to say that I have just added the 16th Tudor/Anne Boleyn place to my On the Tudor Trail list! It is none other than Henry VIII's pleasure palace- Hampton Court. Hampton Court Palace is undoubtedly one of my favourite places in the world! Although physically, little of Cardinal Wolsey’s and Henry VIII’s Hampton Court survives today, as it was either demolished, modified or modernised, you can still get a feel of what Henry’s beloved palace would have looked like when it … [Read More...]
Anne Boleyn- an indelible queen
Anne Boleyn fans often associate May with her bloody and unjust demise but we cannot for a moment forget that May was also the month in which her coronation ceremonies began and must have been a time of great triumph and joy for her. After the many years of uncertainty she endured, these four days would have been a monumental relief. A time where she could be secure in the knowledge that she was on the brink of becoming an anointed Queen and mother to the future heir to the throne- in her mind, … [Read More...]
Secrets of the Vatican revealed
I just came across this article describing how some of the documents kept in the Vatican's secret archives are soon to be opened to outsiders. Among one of the one million documents is a 2.5 kg letter with 81 wax seals sent by members of the British House of Lords to Pope Clement VII in 1530, demanding a divorce for King Henry VIII. David Starkey claims that "To understand England we need to have this document in mind." If you have a spare 50,000 Euro you can buy one of only 200 replicas of … [Read More...]
My Tudor photos
For all of you that may be interested, I have just uploaded close to 300 photos that I took on my 'Tudor pilgrimage' trip last year. I have not yet added descriptions to all of them but hopefully I will get to that soon. I have photos of the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, Hatfield House, Hever Castle, Penshurst Place, Rochford Hall, Burghley House, Sudeley Castle, Thornbury Castle and Stratford Upon Avon! All you need to do is visit: On the Tudor … [Read More...]
Pashley Manor- a Boleyn home
I am very happy to say that I have just added my 15th stop on the Tudor Trail! This time we must travel to the town of Ticehurst on the border of East Sussex and Kent to the beautiful Pashley Manor. Originally built in 1292 as a moated manor by the de Passele family, it was eventually sold to the Bullen family from Norfolk in 1453. The Bullens, later Boleyns, held the manor until Queen Anne Boleyn’s downfall in 1536 possibly using it as a hunting lodge. It is said that Anne Boleyn … [Read More...]
Archbishop Cranmer declares Henry and Anne’s marriage valid
Hello all! I was just thinking about Anne (as I do a lot...) and was trying to imagine what she would have been feeling on this day in 1533 because not only had Cranmer declared her marriage valid but also the next day would mark the commencement of the coronation ceremonies and Henry and Anne’s first public ceremony as a royal couple. I think that she must have felt untouchable- pregnant with the heir to the throne of England, doted on by her husband the King and soon to be an anointed … [Read More...]
These bloody days…
On the morning of Wednesday, 17th May 1536 George Boleyn, Henry Norris, Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton were led out of the Tower under close guard and beheaded on a high scaffold on Tower Hill. Large crowds had gathered to see the bloody end of these once great men- among the onlookers stood a number of courtiers. Anne Boleyn and Thomas Wyatt were witnesses to these gruesome acts from the window of their prison cells within the Tower. It seems likely that Wyatt watched from … [Read More...]
Roses at the Tower of London
On my visit to the Tower of London last year I spoke with a Yeoman Warder about the roses that are said to be anonymously delivered to the Tower of London to commemorate the anniversary of the execution of Queen Anne Boleyn. He confirmed that every May 19th roses are indeed sent to the Tower and believed this to be happening since Victorian times. Interestingly, he also added that due to security reasons they were forced to enquire as to the identity of the person or persons sending the roses … [Read More...]
Raise a glass to Henry VIII at Hampton Court
How I would love to be able to visit the recently unveiled recreation of a Tudor wine fountain at Hampton Court Palace. This is already one of my favourite places on Earth and the addition of the wine fountain where visitors can enjoy a glass of red or chilled white wine on weekends just makes it all the more spectacular. Hampton Court was well known in its day as a place where Henry VIII would lavishly entertain his guests with festivities, revels and copious amounts of beer and wine- hence … [Read More...]
Berkeley Castle- Host to a Royal honeymoon?
I have been busy updating my 'Tudor Trail' page on my website: On the Tudor Trail I now have 14 houses, castles, parks and churches with a connection to Anne Boleyn and will be adding more in the near future. They are all places that Anne Boleyn visited and that are still in existence today! My latest addition is the historic Berkeley Castle. The same family has inhabited the amazing Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire for 900 years! The castle was built in the 12th century to keep … [Read More...]
Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey Exhibition at the National Gallery
For those of you lucky enough to live nearby, the National Gallery in London is currently exhibiting Delaroche's famous painting depicting the moment prior to Lady Jane Grey's execution. She was only 16 years old and Queen for a mere 9 days when she was sent to the Tower and executed on February 12th 1554. View preparatory drawings and sketches and discover how this painting evolved into such a powerful and moving piece. For more information visit the National Gallery . … [Read More...]
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